Rail-joint.



L. H. KINNEY' RAIL 10mn l .APPLICATION FILED 061229; i915. MQQQA 16.,

ATTORNEY Pawnd D60' 4,1917.

vI.|'L0`YD H. KINNEY, 0F SCBANTON, P-ENNSYLVAINIA.

BAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

Application led October 29, 1915. Serial No. 58,630. j

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD H. KINNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain thereof is to provide a device ofthis nature that eliminates the use of bolts and other analogousfastening elements such as are now generally employed to retain thesplice bars in position, by the substitution of novel means for lockingthe splice bars in binding engagement with the end portions of theadjacent rails so as to efectually prevent longitudinal movement of therails and obviate the slight vertical movement at the ends thereofduring the passage of rolling stock thereover.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type inquestion that is extremely simple in construction, strong and durable,and highly practical from both the standpoint of the manufacturer andthe standpoint of the user; and which, it is believed, may bemanufactured at a minimum cost. 1

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent during thecontinuance of the following description.

These objects are accomplished by such means as are shown in theirpreferred form in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more specifically pointed out iii the appended fclaims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate likeparts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a view in top plan showing my invention, as in its preferredembodiment,

in connection with a pair of rails of substantially the conventionalform.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the improved splice bars, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of another of the ...Splice bars.

In'the drawings A and B designate the rails in connection with which myimproved joint is shown, which are of substantially the conventionalform.

In reducing my invention to practice, I provide a pair of splice bars 10and 11 that are of a construction whereby they may be arrangedintimately with the side walls of the web portion of the rails, asclearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. To assure a more secure connectionbetween the splice bars and the rails irrespective of that meanshereinafter described, I provide the web portions of each of the railswith through openings 12 to accommodate studs 13 on the splice bar 10,while the inner face of the other splice bar has a longitudinallyextending recess 14 for receiving the projecting ends of the studs. Ifurther provide the splice bars 10 and 11 with lateral flanges 15 and 16which are designed to t snugly upon the upper .face of the base flangeof the respective rails and to be bent to extend therebeneath, such aswill be hereinafter fully pointed out.

The flange 15 of the splice bar 10 is formed into a chair portion 17 toengagev yond the outer edge of the base flange at a certain point, asshown in Fig. 3. The chair portion 17 is further provided upon its underface with a diagonally extending rib or offset 19 that serves in thecapacity of a locking device such as will be hereinafter fully pointedout, The other flange 16. which is carried by the splice bar 11, is alsoformed to extend beneath the base flanges of the rails, in the form of aretain ing flange 20, the latter being provided with a diagonallyextending groove or cut-out 21 for receiving the rib or offset 19 of thechair 17, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The flange 2O is cut away adjacentone end (see Fig. 4) to receive the projecting ear 18 of the chair 17and further provided with a groove 22 to receive the projecting end ofthe ear as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

With a view of providing means to positively and effectually lock thesplice bars against displacement after they have been moved into aposition to create a binding I actionA lm .tuaee,n.theF rib or offset 19and the moved longitudinally ,rails so that the rib 19 groove 21, Iprovide the ear 18 with a series of spaced openings 23 and the flange 16with openings 24, certain of which may be brought into alinement atdifferent times in order to receive a locking pin 25.

In the operation of my device, the splice bar 10 is first positioned inconnection with the rails A and B so that the studs 13 project throughthe openings 12 in the webs of the rails and the chair portion 17 snuglyengages the base flanges thereof. lVhen the splice bar 10 is in thisposition the other bar 11 may be moved in connection with the rails sothat the rib or offset 19 of the chair portion 17 engages in the grooveor cut-out 21 of the retaining flange 20. The splice bar 11 is now movedlongitudinally with respect to the rails to be brought into oppositealinement with the other splice bar 10 and consequently during suchmovement a wedging action will be exerted between the rib or offset 19and the groove or cut-out 21 which will have a tendency to draw thesplice bars and the flanges 15 and 16 into snug fitting engagement withthe web and base flange respectively of the rails as is obvious. Afterthe splice bars have been securely locked in this manner it will befound that certain of the openings 24 of the flange 16 will registerwith certain of the openings 23 of the ear 18 of the chair portion,consequently permitting' the insertion of the locking pin 25 in order toprevent retrograde movement of the splice bar 11. As wear upon the webportion of the rails continues the locking pin 25 may be removed so thatthe splice bar l1 may be again with respect to the operating in thecutout 21 will tend to draw the bars toward each other and thuscompensate for such wear of the web. It will be found that thisadjustment will bring other of the openings 23 and 24 into alinementsuch as will permitV the reinsertion of the locking pin 25.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the splice bars are readilyadjustable so as to have snug fitting engagement with the 'web portionof the rails at all times and thus effectually retain the rails bothagainst longitudinal movement as Well as slight vertical movement. Thesplice bar 11 may be driven with a sledge so that an eiicient bindingaction will be exerted through the coperation of the rib 19 and thecut-out 21 whereas it may be also locked against retrograde movementafter having reached a position whereby the desired tension is exertedon the web portion of the rails. It

detailed is believed that the novel features of readily advantages andother my invention will be understood and therefore' further descriptionis deemed unnecessary. In' reducing my invention to practice I findlthat-,fthe 'form referred to herein as the most Having thus fullydescribed my inven- Y tion, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is;

1. VA rail joint for connecting the meeting ends of a pair of railwayrails comprisinga splice bar formed with a chair portion to engage andsupport the rails and also formed with a downwardly extending elementand a laterally extending element, the latter being provided 'with a rowof apertures; a second splice bar formed with means for cooperating withthe downwardly extending element of the ,first said splice bar to drawsaid bars toward one another when they are adjusted longitudinally, saidsecond splice bar being formed with a recess Yto receive thelaterallyextending element of the first said splice bar, said second splice barbeing also formed with 'a row of apertures; and means insertible throughalined apertures of said rows so as to retainsaid splice bars indifferent adjusted positions with relation to one another.

2. A rail joint for connecting the meeting ends of a pair of railwayrails comprising a splice -bar formed with a chair portion to engage andsupport the rails `and also formed with a downwardly extending elementand a ment, the latter projecting outwardl beyond the edge of the baseflange of the rail when it is supporting the latter; a second splice barformed with means for coperating with the downwardly extending elementof the first said splice bar to draw said bars toward one another whenthey are adjusted longitudinally, said' second splice bar being recessedto receive the portion of said laterally extending element that projectsbeyond the base flange of the rail and also being provided with anaperture that establishes communication betweenl the recess and theupper 'surface of the bar; and means cop'en, ative with the aperturedportion of the said second splice bar and with the said laterallyextending element of the first said splice bar to hold these splice barsin different adj usted positions with relation tojone another.

In a rail joint Vof .the character described, the combination witha'pair of rails, of a pair of splice bars to be associated with thewebsof said rails, means 'carried by one of said splice bars to preventlongitudinal movement of said rails'with respect to each l laterallyextending vele- `V lateral flanges to engage with the upper, face of thebase flange of said rails, one of said flanges being formed into a chairportion to engage with the under face of the base flanges of said rails,a diagonally eX- tending rib formed on the under face of said chairportion, said chair portion being provided with a laterally projectingear adjacent one end, said ear provided with aV series of receivingopenings, a retaining Vfiange formed on the other of said firstmentioned flanges to engage with the under face of said chair portion,said retaining flange provided with a diagonally extending cutout t0receive said rib, said retaining Hange M. E. JONES, E. B. WATKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D. G.

